Have you ever wondered about silicon wafers and how they’re produced? The wafer manufacturing process is typically divided into critical stages that involve pulling single crystal ingots and slicing and polishing silicon wafers. Let’s take a closer look at the several methods that can be used to produce single crystal silicon ingots.
The FZ method melts silicon by induction heating without the use of a quartz crucible. Surface tension holds the melted silicon throughout the process. To ensure the achievement of high-purity crystals with low oxygen content, the high-temperature zone must not come into contact with other materials.However, it’s important to note that this method isn’t the ideal choice for producing crystals that come with a larger diameter.
Most manufacturers use this method in producing single crystal silicon for large-scale integrations (LSIs). LSI involves the integration of thousands of transistors on a single silicon microchip.Unlike the FZ method, the CZ method uses a quartz crucible to hold the melted silicon. This method limits the reduction of oxygen content because it causes the inevitable dissolution of oxygen from the quartz glass.
When a magnetic field, created by an electromagnet, is applied to the CZ method, the result is a variation called the MCZ (longitudinal magnetic field method). In this method, the interaction between the flow of the melted silicon and the magnetic field creates a force that subjects the hot melted silicon that conducts electricity.This changes the flow of the melted silicon. You can take advantage of this characteristic by controlling crystal properties.
If you need silicon wafers for your next project, get in touch with Wafer World today to request a quote. We produce high-quality wafers at a reasonable price.
